Redeemed
by bStormhands
Summary: Where did Maleficent come from? What is her beef with the fairies? Back in Passhold something bad happens.
1. Introduction 1

Redeemed

* * *

_Author's Note: When I was first writing Rapunzel Goes Home, I realized that Rapunzel and Aurora were much the same and would make good friends. I didn't do too much with that until Belle came and asked me to help Aurora tell her story, and so Roused was born. _

_In Roused I found Aurora's pain and helped her speak it and find a friend to heal it. I knew Aurora was a great and powerful person, and I intended her and Rapunzel and their princes to go up against the Goon Queen and destroy her in a massive battle with the four of them working together swing through the rafters, but then Maleficent came and reminded me that Aurora needed to face her. I thought that was great. Little did I know what would come next. Maleficent was more then just a villain, she was a princess too and her story was not all that different for Aurora and Rapunzel's, but she chose differently, and finally one day she said, I would like out please._

_To say the least that rocked my world. I'm still not sure I can pull this off. I've put it off too. It's a hard story. I don't expect many to make it through to the end. I used NaNoWriMo to push myself to finish but that didn't work. I even tried to end the story, but she asked me not to. It isn't fair to her to let it go and, sorry Disney, but you are doing it wrong. _

_There is a princess in trouble, and I am going to help get her out. Visors down, swords up. Here we go._

* * *

Once upon a time, a princess learned who she really was...

Introduction

The screaming bolted Magen awake in the aurora of the dawn. She groped for her wand, but it wasn't on her nightstand like it usually was. "Bother!" she snarled as she remembered that it had burst into flame the day before and she hadn't replaced it yet. It was quiet and safe here, but today it wasn't.

Magen groped around under the bed for the whackadoo her son had made.

Grabbing a robe, she dashed outside in her bare feet. Someone had made it through the Dark Forest, a girl from the screams.

Magen came around the thick roots of the mighty oak tree that stood at the boundary of the Dark Forest. There was a tall, thin girl, curled up in a ball and weeping as if the world had come to an end.

"It's okay. It's okay. You're safe here." Magen murmured, but the girl continued to sob.

"Are you...?" Stupid question, she was obviously not okay.

"Where...?" Another stupid question, it didn't matter where she had come from.

"What...?" Probably a dangerous question, whatever happened had been awful. The Dark Forest showed people their worst nightmares to protect itself. It also tended to be grabby; clothes were often ripped and shredded by the forest, but this was the first time Magen could think of for clothes to have been completely removed. Armored warriors would flee after a few minutes in the daytime. Yet, this girl had obviously walked at least two days through the Dark Forest. There were so many questions Magen wanted to ask, but the answers would be worthless at this time.

"I will help you." Magen stated firmly, as she put her arms around the mud-covered girl. In a few minutes the girl stopped crying.

"Can you stand?"

The mud covered girl shrugged, but together they got her upright. Magen kept her arm around the girl as she guided them to her cottage. The girl could barely stand, and Magen thought the way the girl moved was odd, like she was falling and somehow just barely catching herself.

They got into the cottage and Magen put the girl in a chair with arms so she might have some stability. The girl grunted in pain as she sat.

"I'm sorry. You're hurt." Magen looked around, there were so many things that needed to be done for this injured girl, which to do first?

"Here, have a little food." Magen went to the pantry and grabbed a few easy to eat items and poured out a goblet of blackberry juice she had been planning on making wine out of but the girl needed it now.

"Eat, and I'll get a bath ready for you. Once we clean you up, I can tend to your injuries. Okay?"

"'Kay." the girl said so very quietly.

"Eat something, I'll be right back." Magen went into the bathroom and pulled the heating crystal out of its box and heated the water in the bathtub. Being a witch did have its advantages, she could enchant objects to do things and one of her favorites was the enchanted bathtub, which provided hot, clean water whenever she wanted. She had made several tubs for friends in Avandell.

Magen returned to the kitchen where she found the girl trying to drink the juice. She held the goblet with both hands and her elbows on the table, but her whole body was shaking and rivulets of the bright liquid ran down the side of her mouth and neck.

Magen came up next to the girl, put her arm around her and steadied the goblet. "It's okay, I'm going to help you."

Once the panting girl had drained the juice, Magen asked, "Are you still hungry?"

The girl nodded weakly. Magen looked around quickly. Something simple. Magen dragged over the jam jar and a spoon. With the girl resting on her shoulder, she gently fed the girl spoonful by spoonful, each time the girl thanked her. Magen was reassured by the politeness the girl was showing. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked. It took some time, but the jar was emptied.

The mud on her bare feet had dried and was beginning to itch and she rubbed her feet together under the table.

"Are you ready to be cleaned up?"

The girl nodded.

Magen helped the girl up and they slowly tottered to the bathroom. Dried mud was getting on her dress and all over the floor but Magen didn't care at the moment. She'd clean that up later, the girl was the most important thing now. The girl whined in pain as Magen helped her get her leg into the tub, "Sorry. I'm sorry, but we need you clean first then I'll know better how to help you. Here we can use the stool."

Magen hooked the stool with her foot and dragged it next to the tub, sat the girl down and lifted both legs together and spun her so she had her legs in the tub, and then she helped the girl slide in.

Magen used a ladle to wash the girl's blonde hair. The water in the tub was quickly darkened with the mud. Magen rolled up her sleeves and gently wiped the dirt off by hand. The girl flinched as Magen touched her, so she was as gentle as she knew how.

Magen's eyes widened as she found a rawhide leash wrapped around the girl's throat. It had been invisible under all the mud and dirt. "Here, let's get that off of you." Magen said briskly, trying to stay in control.

Magen's insides clenched as she found more rawhide thongs wrapped around the girl's wrists and ankles. Anger and compassion fought against a scared desire not to think too much about what she was finding.

Once it felt like she had gotten the worst of the dirt off, she helped the girl stand to get her out of the tub so the water could be refreshed.

Magen's jaw dropped open, then she swallowed. The girl was covered with bruises and scrapes. From navel to knee the girl was completely black with them. Lurid yellows, greens and dark blues spread nearly everywhere on the girl.

Magen embraced the wet girl and said, "I'm so sorry. I'll make it better." But the girl just stood there, shoulders hunched and head hanging, as the water was refreshed.

Magen was as gentle as she could be with the girl as she finished washing her, but she was certain that the drops of blood that tainted the water were not from the girl's period. Helping this girl would take more than some food and rest.

Magen needed a wand.

After cleaning the girl again, being extra gentle when getting her out and drying her, and putting a soft nightgown on her, Magen said, "My name is Magen and I am a witch, and I can heal you but I need a wand. Will you come with me? It isn't far."

The girl just stood there, her shoulders slumped and head down, but she nodded.

"Okay, just hold on to me. We just need to cross the meadow."

Magen took the girl's limp hand and they walked out the front door and across the meadow to a tall white tree with round leaves.

"Wait right here and be quiet, please." said Magen, though she was only slightly worried that the girl would say anything, she hadn't yet.

Magen walked up to the tree and placed her hands on the white bark with the vertical striations and began to sing. She sang a sung of love and trust and hope. The striation between her hands opened slowly and with much singing the tree allowed her hand in and she pulled out a white stick about the length of her forearm, the magic wand the tree had gifted her. She could see the gleaming heart wood of the tree deep inside. But to remove that would kill the tree, though she could feel the power coursing through it on her fingertips as the sparkles flowed out of the hole in the tree. After another refrain the opening closed and Magen put her forehead against the tree and said, "Thank you." With a hand on the trunk to steady her, Magen turned and walked over to the girl. Taking her hand, Magen lead them back to the cottage, her feet heavy on the ground from the effort of wandsinging.

Magen had the girl lay on the bed in the guest bedroom behind the fireplace. It was warm in the winter and cool in the summer from the heavy stone.

"I'm going to start healing you now, dear. Just lie quietly and it shouldn't take too long."

Magen waved the wand over the girl to see what was wrong. She was meticulous with magic, she didn't just let the magic do whatever it wanted. Too often, very strange side effects would appear and she knew that that would be very bad in this case. This girl had been through so much already and didn't need some weird spell effect to disrupt her life any more then it had been.

"Who was this girl?" Magen thought. She was surprised, the girl already had spells on her. At least three, and they had the telltale signature of fairies.

This made things more complex. She didn't want to interfere with those spells, it would take some analysis to determine what exactly they did. She knew she was too tired to do all of that, but it was important to deal with the bleeding at the very least. Hopefully after healing and some rest, the girl could tell her more.

"You have spells on you already, do you know that?" Magen asked.

The girl nodded as she stared seemingly straight through the ceiling.

"Good, but that is going to make this more complicated. Healing you may take a while."

She looked down at the prone girl on the bed after rising for a break. Her feet had cuts and scrapes, and her hands and feet were discolored and bruised, she had obviously been tied down. There were bruises around her neck. She was a solid mass of bruise from knee to neck.

Whatever had happened to her had been horrifying. It was like she have been raped and beaten to an inch of her life. She was going to heal this child as best as she could. There were so many injuries, it was hard to start. Top to bottom, bottom to top, worst to least?

Magen didn't even know if the girl trusted her, but she at least stayed close. Maybe a bit of simple healing first, before the most serious wounds to build trust.

"I'm going to try healing your hand now. Is that okay?"

The girl just blinked. Magen took that as a yes.

Magen knelt next to the bed and took the hand nearest to her waved the wand. Sparkles slowly dripped onto the hand and began to heal the hand and wrist.

"Is that better?" she asked.

The girl lifted her hand and abstractly looked at it, flexed it slowly and said, "Yes."

"Good, good. Now for the other hand."

And Magen healed that hand, and her feet. It had been tough and slow, but they were looking normal. Now for a tough one to see if there was some trust there.

"I want to heal you between your legs. You are bleeding a little from both places and I doubt it is from your period."

Magen waited and the girl slowly shook her head.

"Okay. I understand if this is hard for you, but would you open your legs for me please? I'll help." She gently reached out and lifted the sheet and moved the legs until she had better access. Princess whimpered in pain. "Okay, that's good enough."

Magen knelt next to the bed on the soft, warm rag rug and slowly let the magic flow from the wand into the place between the girl's legs where the blood was oozing from. Keeping tight control over the magic just letting it heal the girl. The magic told Magen that the girl was torn up terribly inside. It was amazing that the girl could even walk. It was late afternoon by the time Magen finally had the girl's insides back the way they should be.

Magen was tired and said, "I'm sorry, that is all I can do today. I need to rest, but I am pretty sure we can get you all healed up tomorrow. Will that be okay?"

The girl slowly nodded once.

"Thank you. Do you want some of the soup for dinner?"

Another slow nod.

Magen rose but the girl caught her hand. Magen looked at the girl. After a slow blink, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You're going to be safe here. No one will hurt you if I have anything to do about it. I'm sorry but I am so tired. I have healed your insides and you should be feeling better. I'll have to take care of the rest in the morning." said Magen to the girl, but the only response was soft, gentle breathing.

Magen smiled, heaved herself up and stumbled to her room. She put the wand under her pillow, pulled off her shoes and snuggled under the johnquill quilt her late husband had given her. She was asleep in moments.

# # #

Magen leapt out of bed, grabbing the wand from underneath her pillow. The girl was screaming like she was being torn in half. Magen came into the room, but the girl was alone in bed, asleep and screaming. Magen shook the girl, who woke and backed frightened away from her.

"It's okay. It was just a nightmare. You are safe here. I will keep you safe. No one will hurt you here. I promise. Do you understand me?" Magen asked gently. The girl nodded.

"Good. I healed you a little yesterday, but I had to stop. I was tired. Do you know that you have magic on you already?"

The girl nodded.

"Okay. That makes healing you more difficult. I have to go slow so they don't interact and create some kind of side effects. You don't need that right now."

The girl shrugged, but her face was blank.

"I know you are in pain, but can we have something to eat first? Healing you may take a long time."

The girl nodded, shifted on the bed, and pulled the covers open, a strong scent of urine filled the room.

She looked up with big sad eyes at Magen and quietly said, "Wet," and began to sob.

"It's okay, I can take care of that," reassured Magen.

She gave the girl an old nightdress and they went out to the kitchen to eat.

Magen could tell that the healing had done a lot of good, the girl was walking more gracefully, but the slowness of her movements and pain in her face told there was much left to heal. She even ate slowly and cautiously, Magen made a note to heal the shoulders as well. There was not a part of this girl that didn't need healing. Hopefully, once she's healed, she'll want to talk more. Pain did make it hard to want to talk and explain.

Magen helped the girl up and together they went slowly into the kitchen. Magen helped the girl drink some fruit juice and then made some biscuits, which they ate quietly with butter and honey. The woman placed a warm biscuit and a crock of jam in front of the girl, she picked up the knife, keeping her little finger extended and spread some jam on the food and mechanically ate it.

"Thank you," said the girl, though she didn't really look at Magen.

Magen smiled and said, "You're welcome, dear. Let's go back to your room and I can work on healing you some more, if you're ready."

The girl nodded and, with some help, rose and then walked to her room.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot your bed." Magen pulled out the wand and shot sparkles at it and the urine came out and went into the chamber pot, the mattress and blankets and sheets and pillows fluffed themselves and the bed made itself, opening up so the princess could lie down on the clean, dry sheets.

"This will be easier if you don't have anything on. I'll help you with your clothes. Then we'll change you into a night gown and you can sleep some more."

The princess nodded and let her clothes drop to the floor, not bothering to pick them up. Magen helped her into bed, picked up the clothes, and began to heal the princess once again. It took many hours, as she was not good at magicking living things.

Magen could tell the girl was still hurting by the flat, unmoving way she just lay there on the bed. Something really bad had happened, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the story, but she would if she thought it would help.

Magen worked her way over the girl's belly and legs, then needed a short nap. The intense concentration was very draining. In the afternoon, after a simple lunch of leftover biscuits, cheese, and fruit, Magen finished healing the girl's back and arms. Magen smiled as she heard quiet snores from the girl and then sought her own bed to sleep off the exhaustion the work had imposed on her.


	2. Introduction 2

Introduction 2

# # #

Magen checked on the girl from time to time. It was good to see her in different positions, but she was sleeping so much, it was odd. How long had the girl been without sleep? She had found her asleep, and she had slept the night, or at least she thought she did, maybe the pain had been worse than she thought.

Magen started some dough for bread, but it would take hours to rise, it would be ready for dinner at least. Then chopped some vegetables for a soup.

Magen was just scraping some parsnips into the pot for lunch when the sound of vomiting and terrified screams came from the bedroom. Dropping the cutting board she ran to the bedroom and skidded through the door. The girl was still laying in bed, screaming for all she was worth.

Magen dove for the bed, shook the girl, and shouted. "Wake up! Wake up!"

The girl's eyes snapped open, and she looked around, finding herself in a strange place and tried to back away, but the wall was in the way. "It's okay, it's okay. You're safe here. You're safe."

The girl grabbed the pillow and wrapped her arms around it, and began to cry. Magen tried to get close, but the girl moved away. "I'm not going to hurt you. I healed you. You feel better, yes?"

The girl looked at her silently and slowly nodded. Magen just waited, and eventually the girl uncurled herself. "It was just a nightmare. You are safe here, I won't let anyone hurt you here. Lunch is almost ready, do you want some?"

The girl nodded.

Magen helped her up and the girl shuffled behind Magen to the kitchen. The girl slowly ate almost all of the soup and the biscuits.

"Where?" asked the girl, looking out the window.

"Where are you?" Magen asked, and the girl nodded. Magen thought that the question was a good sign. The girl was beginning to open up a little.

"You are in my cottage inside the Dark Forest."

The girl curled up on herself and looked around scared.

"It's okay, the cottage is a safe place. Stay close to it and you will be protected. You are safe here."

The girl nodded and slowly put her legs down.

"Do you remember my name?"

The girl thought for a long time, "Magen."

"Yes, very good. Do you remember your name?"

The girl nodded, but looked down.

"Good. Would you tell me your name? I can't go around calling you 'girl,' or 'hey, you' now, can I?" Magen tried for a certain lightness in her tone to encourage the girl to talk.

"Tina," the girl whispered, after a long pause, looking into her bowl.

"Tina," Magen said softly. "That's a nice name."

"You really upset my routine the last few days, it's going to take a bit to get back into the swing of things. Would you mind helping around the cottage?" asked Magen.

The girl nodded dully.

Magen could already tell that getting the girl to open up would take time and effort. Maybe she would have to take the girl to Avandell, but it was a long way through the forest. Well, she would take the girl there in any case, she had to go home before winter. She hope her son Chedrick was having a good time with her brother.

Magen knew her cottage was isolated, she needed that for the work she did. Interruptions could be a problem when doing her kind of magic. She had some magical theories she was trying to apply. Wizards tended to enchant weapons, but she wanted to enchant things to make her life easier. She was currently working on an enchanted pot, that could fill itself with water or oil and bring it up to temperature quickly. Last year she had perfected the enchanted frying pan and that was working quite well.

They spent the morning cleaning the bathroom, and Magen taught Tina how to use the tub. The enchanted tub had been her first breakthrough, but it was a bit of a kludge, magically speaking, needing crystals to control it.

Magen put out some biscuits for lunch and went to the pantry for the salami. The salami was a present from her children; a good, thick stick of easy to eat meat. It was as thick around as her wrist and as long as her forearm, it could almost make a serviceable club. The gardens around the cottage fed her well enough, but the meat was good and the girl would need it to recover.

She put it down on the table.

The girl was staring at the salami, and Magen could see the blood run out of her face, a look of terror and pain, and then she threw herself to the ground next to the table, sobbing.

Magen dashed around the table.

"I'm sorry, what's wrong?" asked Magen as she gathered the girl into a hug, the girl flinched away.

"N..Nang. They ...chanted ...his name. He was big ...like that. He hurt me. He hurt me so much." The girl sobbed.

"You're safe here. No Nang. I'll keep you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you again," promised Magen, though she was amazed that a man could be so big. Magen threw a napkin over the salami and hid it away in the pantry.

Eventually the girl calmed down and Magen used the wand to finish preparing the bread and put it in the oven. Then they sat at the table again as it baked.

The girl nibbled on the last biscuit and stew as the smell of baking bread began to fill the cottage. Magen wanted more answers but the girl had not eaten much at all in the time she'd been in the cottage, and who knew how long it had been since the girl had a proper meal? Food first, then maybe some questions.

Magen was so angry at the beasts that did this. Nang was an odd name. Magen wondered if he was the only one, but the girl had said they chanted him name.

The girl ate slowly, but steadily. Once the bread was done baking, they had some of it with butter and honey. They ate all the bread and then the girl was nodding off again.

"You go take a nap and I'll clean up here," said Magen.

The girl nodded and shuffled off to the bedroom.

Magen used the wand to catch up with the household chores. She preferred to do chores without magic as it helped her clear her mind after working with magic so much for her work.

Magen went out to the garden and gathered a few things that had ripened and were ready to eat. It was still somewhat early in the season, but the pantry was getting low.

As she returned to her cottage, she shivered at the horrors that the girl went through.

# # #

Tina woke up the next day screaming and vomiting again, and after Magen had calmed her, she asked, "Can I check you again? All this vomiting is worrying me."

Tina shrugged but laid back down.

Magen ran the wand down the girl's body, low in her abdomen she stopped and said, "Oh dear."

Tina just continued to lay there.

Magen sat heavily on the chair and then used the wand again. She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm so sorry. You're pregnant."

Tina blinked.

"Two babies. One is about a month older then the other. How could this happen?"

"Army." Tina said quietly.

"Army? There is a war going on?"

Tina shook her head, her face sad. "Slaughter."

"Oh, I'm sorry." That army must have kept her to rape her.

Tina's hands moved to her belly, and tears ran down from her eyes into her ears, but she didn't bother to wipe them. Her face was a mask of pain and despair as she began to bawl, like a broken-hearted child.

# # #

That afternoon Magen looked up from the pot she was enchanting, it was too quiet. Magen's old maternal instincts made her get up and search for the girl.

She found the lost girl by the big oak staring into the Dark Forest, her legs curled under her, a hand on her neck, an arm across her belly, her mouth open and a look of abject horror on her face.

Magen just sat in the view of that stare and waited not wanting the girl to panic at her touch, eventually the girl saw her.

"What happened?" Magen asked.

Tears slid down Tina's cheeks. "I'm a bad girl. The worst girl ever."

"No, you're not. Yes, bad things have happened to you but that doesn't make you a bad person." After a pause, "Is there anyone out there you want to go to?" Magen gestured beyond the Dark Forest.

Tina shook her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Come, it doesn't do to sit and stare into the Dark Forest. I'll take care of you." Magen held out her hand.

"'kay," said Tina.

Magen supported Tina back to the cottage.

# # #

"I have to do something," said Tina, aggressively.

"What?" asked Magen, calmly. Tina seemed to be getting better. The quiet work of the cottage seemed to be helping. Though there were times Tina would be completely lethargic, and other times angry. This looked like one of her angry times.

"I don't know."

"Can I help?"

"I don't know!"

"That makes it hard."

"I know!"

"How about you help with the beans?"

"That's not what I should do."

"I know, but that is something we can do right now."

Tina sighed but nodded as she took up the bowl of string beans and began to prepare them. Magen was so kind, but so smothering. She wished she knew what to do. Her feelings were so hard to control sometimes. Terrible anger made her want to destroy everything everywhere. Crippling melancholy that left her unable to move. The frightening desire to hurt herself so she could stop feeling or start feeling. The knowledge of her utter aloneness; no more Henri, no more Mummy and Daddy. Sometimes she wished she was brave enough to plunge the kitchen knife into her heart or to push it deeper into her skin to really bleed and die.

Who was she anymore? Celestina was now a princess of a dead kingdom. How pathetic. What was she to do now? Tina the peasant girl? Snap and string beans, she was born to be more than this, but she couldn't imagine anything more right now. All her hopes and dreams were dead, never to return. People she had loved and trusted betrayed her at the most basic level. What was love? What was trust? Sometimes she wondered if what she even saw was actually real. At least she knew fear really well now.

She would sit at the base of the big tree and the sun would move, but she didn't feel like she was part of time, or even life anymore. She hated life. She hated herself. She hated Magen being nice to her, even though she knew she desperately needed it.

She missed Henri so much, there was a hole inside her that took up her whole heart. His eyes, his laugh, his strong arms around her body, the smell of him. The curl of his hair around his ears.

Why did the fairies not help? Why did they leave? Didn't they love her?

Then there was the swirling horror of the memory of her kingdom. Destroyed by the father of her dead true love and she now carried the seed of that army.

The coldness of her evaporating tears on her face would shake her out of her misery for a moment and she would wipe her eyes, get up and not think while picking vegetables for another meal. Not thinking was very important. Thinking meant sadness and pain and loss, and she didn't know how to get around that anymore. She was too stupid to live, but life wouldn't let her go.

The princess found counting to be a good way not to think. She would count the beans she picked and strung and cooked and ate. The steps she took, the breathes she made, and in the quiet desperateness of the darkness of the night all alone in her bed, the bleeding beats of her broken heart.

It wasn't fair what had happened, but it was all her fault. She thought about all the things that she could have done differently, but she didn't know what would have changed. She had done so many things wrong. She did everything wrong. She couldn't do anything right. Why did she even bother staying alive?

She hated looking in the mirror, seeing herself, realizing now that it was all a lie. The fairies had given her gifts, she had been so thankful but those gifts were really a curse. Without the magic gifts she would never have met Henri and he would still be alive and maybe they would have still met and loved each other.

The princess was looking into the little pond that had formed from the rain last night and seeing herself.

Flora had given her beauty, lips as red as the rose and hair of sunshine gold. The princess looked so much like her mommy but only when they had their hair covered. Mommy's hair was dark blonde not nearly as light as hers.

Fauna had given her the gift of song, even her voice was a lie. She hadn't sung since Henri's funeral, that last dirge had caused everyone to weep, but she had no music inside her anymore.

Merryweather had given her the gift of grace, to dance like the wind upon the grass. She had never tripped and fallen, even as a child she had sat down only when tired. Gifts, so many gifts. What was she, who was she?

The princess threw herself into the muddy little pond and beat at the water and mud. She stopped and the water cleared and she could see herself reflected in the water. She was still beautiful. Her hair dripped and she was splattered with dark mud, but still she was beautiful. Was there no way to dispel those horrible, cursed gifts?

Magen came out, wiping her hands on a rag, when she heard the noise, concerned, but knowing that the splashing and screaming were better than a frightening quiet.

"What's wrong?" Magen asked gently.

"Beautiful. Still beautiful," replied the mud splattered girl.

Magen dipped her towel into the pond and began to wipe away the mud from the princess' eyes. "Yes, you are. It's as hard to be beautiful as it is to be ugly, in different ways."

Tina just shook her head. If she had been ugly, Henry wouldn't have died.

# # #

After breakfast the princess picked up the wand and went into her room to clean up the mess. It was something routine now. Tina would wake up with a nightmare and vomiting from morning sickness, but she was never awake enough to hit the bowl. Then eat breakfast (she was starving all the time), use the wand to clean up, then do stuff in the garden while Magen worked, nap in the afternoon (more nightmares), help with dinner and that was it. She didn't talk much, she had put up walls between herself and everyone else, she didn't want to hurt anyone anymore, there was enough pain.

But her pregnant body doing things it needed to do like this was making it so hard to hold herself together anymore. Everything that had been true had betrayed her.

She waved the wand and everything is cleaned up. She sat on the bed feeling bone-weary tired inside and her mind felt filled with noise because she didn't want to think anymore.

"Who am I? Without my family, my kingdom, my gifts, what am I?" the girl asked the wand, letting it lie in her hands. A blast of sparkles shot out and hit the standing mirror. The girl stood and walked over to it and saw what appeared on the mirror. The dress was the same, but it wasn't her. What was she seeing? The bare feet of the woman in the mirror were split and clubbed, the hands curled into lobster claws, the back was curved and hunched, the hair was as long as hers was but was a dirty blonde not golden like hers, it reminded her of her mother's hair. The face was hideous, a harelip that split the face and nose, and the eyes... Amber eyes.

Tina raised a hand to her eyes, the reflection did as well. She was seeing herself, without everything she had had. She was a monster.

Tina flopped to the ground. She had deserved everything that had happened to her. She was a lie. Everything was a lie. She was a monster. A pregnant monster. A monster making more monsters.

Tina turned the wand toward herself.

"Are you alright in there?" asked Magen as she opened the door, she had heard Tina fall.

Tina unleashed every shred of despair and self-loathing she had into the wand. "This cannot be!"

There was a flash of green light.

# # #

A tall green woman with yellow eyes strode away from the wreckage of the cottage toward the wand tree. She tossed the flaming remains of the wand in her hand away, and wiped her hands on her blood-splattered dress.

As she sang to the wand tree, it began to open itself to her. She caressed the wood, it opened more. Singing, she reached in deeper and deeper. She felt the very heart of the tree, with both hands she grabbed it, the tree struggled, trying to close her out, but she had her hands around it now.

With a screaming wrench, she ripped the very heartwood from the magic tree. In a blaze of magical energy, the tree shattered and fell.

Panting, she felt the power of the tree in her new magic wand, it was so big, it would make an excellent staff.

Striding toward the Dark Forest, a path appears, for it knew nightmares.

And a nightmare was approaching.


	3. Childhood 1

Redeemed - Childhood 1

"So this is it. Nothing left. It ends with us." said the king sadly.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." said Queen Emma.

"It no longer matters whose fault it might have been." He said. They were on the height above their little valley kingdom, a private spot not far from the road that led over the mountain pass. The midwife had told them there was nothing more she could do. They had passed through many emotions in the years they have been trying to have a child. Now they were out of options.

"We could go to the fairies or some other magic user?" Emma asked, her amber eyes looked down and away from her husband's blue eyes.

"Maybe."

"I engaged a new maid. She's young and pretty..." Emma started hesitantly, her slender fingers fiddling with a button on his shirt, she had taken on the maid because she matched the queen's dark blonde hair and the kings's blue eyes.

The king took his beloved face in his hands, brought her close and shook his head. "I love only you."

The queen saw the love in those eyes and tears marred her smile. She put her arms around her husband and laid her head on his chest looking out over the broad valley. Their castle, the surrounding fields, the gentle forest, and the Dark Forest beyond the river. The sun setting in the distance. She wiped her tears on her husband's robes and looked into the darkening sky.

"Look! Look, the evening star. Please, let us wish on it. One last attempt."

The king smiled gently and nodded.

They knelt.

"Star-light, star-bright. First star we see tonight. We wish we may, we wish we might, make a wish tonight. Please, we need a child and heir to be a light for our kingdom and to lead them well." They wished as hard as they could.

They stood and then the queen got a special smile on her face and dragged the king down. Wishing was good, but doing their part was important too.

Their wish was heard. Their faith was seen. Their work was discreetly noted. And so their wish was granted.

# # #

The Three Good Fairies arrived at the castle, they had heard the wish and had come to investigate. Now they returned since it was nearly time for the baby to come. They met with the king in one of the smaller chambers. The fairies were shocked by how disheveled and tired the king looked.

"Dear king, are you alright?" asked Flora.

He shook his head. "My wife has been in labor for two days. The midwife has called for other midwives to come help. They have tried everything. They won't let me in to see her." His voice is as haggard as his face.

Faintly the queen is heard screaming, then quiet, the entire castle pauses listening; waiting. Then the queen is heard again.

"Please can you do something for her? I'll pay whatever price is required." asked the king, knowing the price magic requires can be quite heavy.

"We'll see what can be done."

But just then one of the apprentice midwives came running in. 'Sire, you have a daughter."

The king smiled and looked back to the fairies who just looked at each other; they had done nothing.

The king turned back to the midwife and then he saw the look on her face. "What's wrong? My wife...?"

"She is tired but she will recover... but you had better come."

# # #

They enter the birthing room. The midwives were cleaning up the exhausted queen.

They noticed right away something was wrong. The atmosphere of the room was mournful. They excitedly went over to the crib.

"Oh dear." said Fauna, as they turned back the coverlet. The baby had a harelip and her hands and feet were missing their middle digits and were split like a lobster's claw. Then because the baby was feeling cold she began to cry which had a terrible whiny screech to it.

The king's mouth was open in shock, he stumbled over to the bed and crashed next to his bedraggled wife and took her hand.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." she sobbed quietly.

The king's mouth moved but all he could say was contained in the tear that ran down his face and into his beard.

"Each of us may give one gift to the princess, no more no less." The king looked to the queen who just sadly shrugged. So much time, wishing and effort, and their princess was deformed. The king turned to the fairies and nodded.

Flora gave the gift of beauty and the harelip healed.

Fauna gave the gift of song and the cry of the princess became like the song of the nightingale.

Merryweather gave the gift of grace and the hands and feet of the baby were healed.

As the cry of her baby changed the queen rose from her bed and tottered over to the crib with the help of her husband. By the time the Merryweather's shower of sparkles faded the queen could see that her baby for the most beautiful baby in the world, she fell before the fairies and thanked them with all her heart.

# # #

Celestina's kingdom was a small kingdom, more of a city-state really. The castle sat at the base of a pleasant valley, The mountains were tall and covered in snow which provided good, clean, clear water. There were many good high pastures for sheep. The town had facilities for shearing sheep, slaughtering sheep, and turning wool into fabric.

There was a forest on one slope, that was carefully logged. Most of the people lived along the river, but not too close, the Dark Forest on the other side was too frightening.

The castle stood at the base of the valley, where a trade route passed and the king collected a small toll. He was a good king and while the revenue was helpful, he was careful not to be a burden to the traders, so they would not be bypassed. There were other routes through the mountains. They provided good food and clean lodgings, for man and beast. Most traders enjoyed coming through this kingdom, as long as they liked sheep.

This was a gateway to the mountain passes.

PassHold it was called.

There are many forests on the continent of Europa. Some are famous like the Black Forest, a pleasant forest really, a good place to hunt and log, and for brigands and bandits to hide in, as well as being amenable to roads through it and towns to rest in, split by placid easy to navigate rivers.

Another is more infamous, the Dark Forest, though to say it was one or many didn't quite pin it down very well. The Dark Forest stretched along the mountains and onto the plains. Rivers passed through it but they were nasty, rough and fast, not well suited for boats to navigate. Roads did not last long in the Dark Forest, quickly overgrown and broken they were. Few were the men of hearty enough soul to spend the night in that forest. Many were the childhood dare that failed long before the sun had set in that place. Spirits, demons and nastier things were said to live there. Nightmares walked that forest.

No one logged in that forest, the trees were too twisted and bent to make good logs from. Firewood smelled funny, and the stink would linger. A small forest was cultivated around Passhold so they might have good wood for building. There was a good seam of coal that they used for heating their homes.

From the height of the pass the Dark Forest stretched to the horizon a dark inky green with a smoky mist brooding over it. There were times in the winter the air never seemed to clear, and had a bothersome stench to it that made sleep difficult.

There were roads around the forest along the river at the end of the valley. The road passed PassHold where it could climb up the mountain pass to the vast plains to the East. But one needed to be careful and watchful on these roads, the Dark Forest would try to grow roots across the road, to buckle it, to break horse's legs and shatter wheels. One did not race in the dark near the Dark Forest.

The Dark Forest held secrets and held them well. It was a place filled with magic, many magical creatures made homes there. To keep them safe from the wicked men that would use it for their own ends. There were homesteads of sorts, dwarves near their mines, colonies of pixie fairies, birthing grounds for Unicorns and a town of witches and wizards too weak to defend themselves individually from those more powerful. Though they were not great and powerful, or they would be out in the world.

Those who were able to pass the nightmares and lived beyond fear, were given paths to those that the forest knew might help.

Author's Note: One can certainly say that the gifts the good fairies give Aurora in Sleeping Beauty were silly and almost useless, but what if they were actually important?

The princess has Ectrodactyly, formerly known as "lobster claw hand," individuals with this disorder have a cleft where the middle finger or toe should be. These split-hand/split-foot malformations are rare limb deformities which can manifest in any number of ways, including cases including only the thumb and one finger (typically the little finger or little finger). It's also associated with hearing loss. Genetically speaking, it's caused by several factors, including deletions, translocations, and inversions in chromosome 7.


	4. Childhood 2

Redeemed Childhood 2

The three good fairies, Queen Emma and toddler Celestina were having a pleasant afternoon tea in a sitting room that led to the royal gardens. The queen was so happy and still most appreciative of what they had done for her daughter. Fauna was on her second cup and stirring in some sugar with the end of her wand, in response to which the queen gave a little shake. A magic wand was a very powerful thing and seeing it used to stir tea was still bizarrely shocking.

Little Celestina was squirmy after her first mickey cookie and the queen put her down. Everyone watched as she walked around the table so gracefully. But then near Flora's chair she got tired, gave a great sigh and sat down with a plop on her bottom. The queen was still in wonder over how the gift of grace assisted her daughter so much. She could walk quite far before tiring and she never did fall, though they still were very careful with her around stairs. But she preferred to go down on her bottom or crawl down backwards.

Flora put her wand down next to her tea, picked her up and put her on her lap and gave her some tickles. Everyone smiled at the beautiful shrieks of laughter the girls made. As Flora and Celestina began to relax, Celestina reached forward and grabbed the wand, before anyone could do anything a blast of sparkles shot out the front. The fairies seemed unconcerned but the queen desperately tried to track where it went as it ricocheted around the room, finally hitting a cookie and making it three times as big as it was. Celestina dropped the wand, grabbed the cookie and proceeded to munch it with delight.

"Oh very good." cheered Flora, "She seems quite the natural at magic. We'll have to make sure to teach her when she is a bit older."

The dumbstruck queen could only nod slowly in agreement.

# # #

"Now keep in mind what you want the broom to do," said Flora.

"It's a broom, it needs to sweep the floor," said young Celestina looking up at the fairy.

"Yes, but to have the magic help it do that, you need to know what you want it to do."

"Okay." She jiggled the wand, her little finger extended. A splash of sparkles hit the broom, but it just slid over and fell to the floor.

"Try again, but with more uprightness."

"Hmm." A flick of the wand and more sparkles and the broom rolled over.

"That's better. Now a little more passion behind it."

Young Celestina was getting annoyed at how hard it was to control the broom. With a sharp jab sparkles shot across the room to the broom and the broom launched itself upwards and embedded itself into the ceiling.

"Not quite so much, dear," said Flora as she flew up to the broom and tugging on it, but it was stuck, she flipped over, braced her feet on the ceiling and yanked it out then flew next to the princess again.

She gave the broom to the princess and exchanged it for the wand. "Now, sweep the floor but notice what you are doing. How the sweeping really works, how the sticks gather the dirt and pushes it around."

Celestina thought it was an odd exercise, but tried anyway, teaching a broom to sweep the floor was so hard, she didn't ever think too hard about it. But now she was, she saw how the sticks bent, how the dirt moved as the twigs sprang back, what was moved and what wasn't. Soon she had a neat pile of dirt in front of her.

"Here, try it again." Flora held out her wand and this time the broom slowly raised up and began to carefully sweep the floor. It wasn't going fast, but it was making a neat little pile.

"Oh, very good. See what can happen when you try."

The young princess beamed a smile back.

"You are good at magic, Celestina," Said Flora.

"But I make so many mistakes," complained the little princess.

"But you tried, and when you try you learn, especially when it doesn't work. What didn't work this time?"

"I wasn't able to get the magic to do what I wanted exactly. It kept going too far one way or the other."

Flora nodded. "And what were you feeling as the magic flowed?"

"I was feeling a warmth in my wand hand. Sometimes it was hot and other times cold. Wait, those were when I was trying to control it and make it do what I wanted, correcting what I was doing."

"Very good. I think our gifts to you gave you some aptitude at magic. Magic for the most part doesn't need to be strongly forced. Controlled and directed, yes. But in many ways it would be like trying to force a stream or river to go a certain way. You can't really force a river to flow uphill, but you can make it go different directions if you show it the easy path. Let the magic flow through you good magic feels warm and wonderful and great good can come of it. Here's my wand again, let's try it again."

# # #

Fauna led the young princess out of the castle and they went near the big tree she loved to play in.

"Now, dear, there is a rabbit warren here. Let's see if they are willing to come out and play. Hello!"

After a while a rabbit poked his head out and saw the sparkling fairy and the princess. "Hello, fairy. Hello, princess."

"Oh, I understood him."

"Of course dear. That is one of your gifts."

"Talking to a rabbit is a gift?"

"Yes, dear, most people can't and hear only squeaks, not words. You can talk to any animal, understand them and be understood."

"Oh, wow. You gave me gifts, was this one of them?"

"No, dear. That was one you were born with, because you are a princess. I gave you the gift of song."

"Oh yes, thank you. I love to sing."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you do. So do I. But there is a lot to learn from rabbits. They are patient but a little high-strung since they are prey. I'll help you get to know all the animals around here."

"Even the ones in the Dark Forest."

Fauna turned and looked at the Dark Forest. "Only those that come to the edge, the Dark Forest is not a good place for most people, stay here with your parents, that would be safest."

"Okay."

# # #

"Now dear, let's try something simple. Like summoning a fog. You remember how fog forms?" asked Merryweather the fairy floating at eye level with Celestina.

"Yes, when warm, moist air drops in temperature, the water condenses to make fog. So all I really need to do is cool the air over the pond and fog will form."

"Very good!" Merryweather and the other fairies clapped their hands.

Merryweather handed over her wand and Celestina took it keeping her pinky finger extended. Giving Merryweather's wand a shake, a shower of blue sparkles flew over the pond and a fog began to form. Princess Celestina smiled, this wasn't hard.

But then the fog turned to snow and Merryweather said, "Not so cold dear."

Celestina concentrated trying to make the air cold enough for fog but not too cold. But what did not-so-cold mean? She gave the wand a twist, but then some of the grass and leaves began to bronze and blacken.

"Oh dear, child, you are making a frost, please stop." cried Flora the fairy.

Celestina pulled up the wand and the damage stopped as the cold air dissipated and mingled with the warm air of the garden, she could feel it looping around her ankles under her skirts.

"I'm sorry," said the girl as Flora moved forward with her wand to minimize the damage.

"It's okay, at least you tried," encouraged Fauna.

"It looks like knowing how to do something and actually doing it is a little different."

Everyone nods looking at the dead grass and damaged bushes.


	5. Childhood 3

Redeemed Childhood 3

Princess Celestina had her arms outstretched as her tormenter gathered more pins to assault her with.

Heaving a sigh, she asked, "Will it be much longer?"

"Not much longer, princess," replied the seamstress.

The princess was being fitted for her birthday dress. It felt like she had been standing there all day, though it had only been for half an hour. She was getting poked by a few pins but it wasn't too bad if she didn't move.

She would much rather be with her friends running around outside. She loved to run around, she could jump and do tricks no one else could do, not that a few of the boys didn't try, but their bones got better after a few weeks.

"Are we done yet?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, princess but this will take a little time. The others will be here soon and then it will go faster." The seamstress apologized, she had sent her helpers to get several things from the workroom, to try and help make the dress better.

Just then the Three Good Fairies came in.

"Aunt Flora, Aunt Fauna, Aunt Merryweather. It's so good to see you. Thank you for coming." said the princess. Celestina wanted to jump down and give them hugs but the pins were pricking her something fierce already.

"Our pleasure dear," said Flora.

"What a nice dress you have," said Fauna. Looking at the partially finished dress.

"It's okay," replied Celestina, looking sadly down at the half-formed dress.

"Why do you say that?" asked Merryweather.

"Well, they ordered yellow, but it's not a very good yellow." Indeed it was more of a dark mustard then the bright sunshine happy yellow she had imagined.

"Here now, let's help with that," said Flora.

The fairies waved their wands and needles, thread, ribbon and fabric were soon orbiting the young princess.

The princess grew concerned with all those pins and needles moving around her sewing her clothes together as she wore them. She held her arms out as straight as she could and tried not to breathe too deeply. She didn't want to be poked. The fairies never hurt her but sometimes the things they did seemed very dangerous.

The assistant seamstresses came in with their arms loaded which promptly flew into the air.

The three fairies were waving their wands and dancing around the princess each working on different aspects of the dress, which was becoming very pretty, from what she could see in the mirror. But the color of the dress still didn't quite work with her amber eyes.

Celestina blinked and then the dress was pink. "Um, what happened to the color?" asked the princess tentatively.

"Pink is a much better color for a princess," said Flora offhandedly.

"_Oh no, not again._" Celestina thought.

"O-kay," she said slowly, not quite willing to disagree while pins and needles were floating so close to her face.

Before long the dress was blue. "Um, Aunt Merryweather? Was that you?"

"It's quite alright, blue goes better with your eyes."

Celestina bit her lip, she was getting a bad feeling about this and she couldn't move from those pins pricking her and the needles floating around her. The seamstress and her staff had backed themselves against the wall trying to stay out of the way.

Magic was soon blasting around her room. Everyone else was able to duck behind her bed or dresser for cover, but she was stuck in the middle, as she was also the focus of the battle. One of the assistance seamstresses tried going under the bed but was too fat. The seamstress' clothes changed color several times in the crossfire as did she tried to find a hiding place or make it to a door, but she kept getting blocked by blasts of magic.

Aunt Fauna was calmly sewing on a fringe of lace on the borders of her dress, completely ignoring the color war.

Celestina was very scared, she didn't dare move. While she knew the good fairies would never want to hurt her on purpose, it was easy to be hurt by accident. She was trying to cower and be the smallest target she could, but she was being pricked by too many pins.

Celestina had just enough time to shut her eyes and wince as she saw two sparkly blasts of magic heading toward her from opposite sides of the room. There was a tingle and when she opened her eyes her dress was half pink and half blue, splattered all over the place. The pins needles and ribbons fell to the ground.

"Oh, now look at what you've done!" said Aunt Flora to Aunt Merryweather, and they laid into each other with words now.

Celestina took the opportunity while they were distracted. "Um, Aunt Fauna, could you make the dress a nice yellow to go with my eyes really well?" She whispered.

"Of course, dear." A flick of the fairies wand and the princess was in a beautiful yellow dress that matched her eyes yet didn't vanish into her sunshine gold hair as the fairy finished the lace on the hem of her arms.

"Thank you. There are some pins sticking me, can you have them come out too, please?"

"Oh dear, that would be uncomfortable." The pins came out of her skin and dress, and all the pins and needles returned to the pin cushion.

"Better?"

"Much better," said Celestina with a sigh of happiness glad to finally put down her arms and come down from the stool.

After a moment of collecting herself, she turned to the squabbling fairies."Thank you so much for making this the most beautiful birthday dress ever."

Then she and the seamstress and her team hustled out of there before something else happened as Flora and Merryweather continued having words with each other, not noticing them leaving.

"You can get the sewing supplies from my room later, when they're gone."

"Thank you. I'll do that," said the seamstress as they walked very fast down the corridor.

Turning a corner they nearly ran into the King and Queen.

"Oh, there you are, Celestina," said her father. "We've been looking for you. We need to talk."

The seamstress and her assistants stood looking at each other as the royal family walked away.

# # #

"I don't know if you've noticed but you know how much children look like their parents." said Celestina's father, once she and mother had sat down in his darkly paneled office.

"Yes, Elsbet looks just like her mom and Fred looks just like his dad. But most of them look like a mix," replied the princess, wondering at why that might be important.

"That's right, but have you noticed how little you look like us?" He asked.

"But I do look like you, a little," she said, panicking a little, was worse news coming, were they not really her parents.

"Yes, a little. Your hair is very blonde, my hair is black and your mother's is a dark blonde at best."

"You really are our daughter, I carried you under my heart for nine months," said mother, who was seeing signs of worry and panic in her daughter's amber eyes, that matched hers.

"There were... issues when you were born. We'll explain in detail when you are a bit older. The fairies were here and gave you gifts. Suffice it to say you would not have survived without their help. We honor them because of what they did for us. Those gifts healed you and also made you very beautiful. You are coming to an age were people will notice your beauty."

The princess nodded. Mother have given her a talk a few months ago, her body had changed and she was walking differently and men were noticing her and reacting to her. She was more cautious about some of the places she went alone now. She was becoming a woman and her lessons had changed to reflect that.

"They will be many princes and kings who will come to ask your hand in marriage." The king stated.

Celestina gasped, "Marriage!?, but I'm only..."

The queen put her hand on her daughter's arm. "We know. There is time yet before it becomes an issue, but you need to know about this now, so you have time to make decisions on your own. We should be able to deflect proposals until you are eighteen, but then we would be forced to take the proposals more seriously. We want you to have a chance at finding true love, it may happen, but it might not. We are telling you now, so you know. If you have not found true love by your eighteenth birthday we would have to consider a betrothal to strengthen ties with another kingdom. Much like a trade agreement."

Celestina bit her lip, it felt so bizarre to think that she might be traded as a cow or a cart for the sake of an alliance, she knew from her lessons that she was a valuable political commodity. But her heart pined for those stories where the princess found true love and lived happily ever after. At least they were giving her the chance for true love.

Princess Celestina nodded regally. "Thank you for giving me the chance to find it on my own."

But she started crying and they hugged her and loved her as she realized her childhood was over now. She mourned the childhood she had had.

# # #

The princess Celestina was sitting on a large rock under a beautiful oak tree, petting a rabbit, singing a little song about true love and happy times and wanting to be everything her family needed her to be with the birds. The rabbits and songbirds flowed around her as she danced with them in the happy sunlight of summer.

The traveller horn sounded. She looked up to the pass and could see a line of horses coming down the road. The delegation was here. She ran to the castle and found her father in the courtyard.

"Daddy!" she cried, throwing her arms around her father. Tickling her nose in his long brown beard which was beginning to streak with grey.

"Tina, are you ready?" asked her smiling father who caught her in a big hug.

She bit her lip, "I think so."

"It won't be hard." He reassured her. "You're going to be sixteen soon and you need to start taking on some more of your royal responsibilities. You'll be my assistant, just make sure to hand me the right paper when the relevant topic come up. We are going to be meeting with the Ilkhan for the final negotiations of our trade agreement."

"Why are we making a trade agreement with him? He killed King Conrad and took his kingdom. I'm not sure that I like him."

"It isn't the best situation but he has control of the other end of the trade route and we need to have this agreement in place. He's bringing his son."

Celestina bit her lip again and looked down, as her insides clenched. As a princess she knew one of her duties was to marry for political advantage. "Daddy, am I one of the terms of the agreement?" she asked quietly.

He pulled her close and hugged her. "No. No, you're not. I would not surprise you with something like that. I would tell you as soon as it came up. I love you, my daughter. I really do hope you get a chance to marry for love."

"Thank you, daddy." She hugged him back as she relaxed inside.


	6. True Love 1

Redeemed True Love

Prince Henri was riding down the road with his father, the Ilkhan.

"Tell me what you see," the Ilkhan said.

They had an impressive view of the valley and the forest beyond. There was an elegant stone castle on a bit of high ground, though it was down in the valley. There was a neatly organized village, and what looked like a large green paddock with a few fluffy sheep, like clouds, in it. There was a small, neatly-tended poplar forest on one slope of the valley that seemed very odd, since there was that huge forest that stretched to the horizon just across the river.

It was actually very beautiful, but that wasn't what his father wanted to hear.

"The castle is situated in such a way that siege engines would not get much advantage of height because of range. Given the river there is probably enough well water for them to survive a protracted siege from within the walls. That forest would supply wood for siege engines and the like. There appears to be only three exits, this road, the road along the forest, and that bridge to the forest across the river, though I do not see a road into the forest. Given the distance from here, they would have plenty of time to evacuate to the castle and get a message out, but some men on fast horses might be able to stop them."

The Ilkhan considered this for a long time. "Indeed. That is good, but you forgot that there would be shepherds and probably scouts, so they would get a message out. But we could block access easily enough at the road next to the river and the bridge. The river looks too turbulent to cross easily, so that would be a good choke point, as well," he rumbled.

"Ah, I see now, Father. Thank you. I am sorry that I disappointed you."

"No, you missed some things because you were too focused on the castle. You must see the entire battlefield and beyond."

"Of course, Father."

A horn sounded, signaling that their arrival had been noticed.

###

Henri looked around the tall Passhold throne room, brilliantly colored banners drifted in the breeze. The heels of their boots thudded against the hard wood floor, they had a small number of guards shadowing them, they held themselves competently. There were a few courtiers or ministers huddled to one side. On the dais was the king, his queen, which Henri thought was surprising, as the Ilkhan hardly ever showed off his wives during official business. Next to the queen was a girl about his own age, and the sight of her made him trip over his own feet. He barely caught himself from sprawling on the floor, and the Ilkhan glared at him.

Henri kept his eyes off the girl until they stopped before the rulers. Introductions were made and Henri bowed formally when it was his turn. He hadn't been given anything to say, by his father, so he remained quiet. While the kings were talking, Henri snuck a look at the girl, the princess obviously. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He could see her politely paying attention to his father, but those amber eyes called to him. He kept wrenching his attention back to his father, but the princess' gaze would slide over him from time to time. His heart was pounding, and he knew he was blushing much of the time. She was regal and gracious, he suddenly felt clumsy and awkward. It felt like he had to fight to keep from just falling over for no reason. Finally they were lead away by a servant to their quarters, and Henri focused on not stumbling, but he could not help looking back one last time, and walked into the wall next to the door.

# # #

Celestina endured the welcoming ceremony as best as she could. Those were always rather painfully uncomfortable. There were downsides to the fairies' gift of beauty. Most people's eyes would linger on her, they always did, since she had begun developing as a woman. Mother explained why that was. She knew she could use her beauty to her advantage, and had a few times, but it felt wrong, so she just acted like herself. It wasn't really fair to use a gift like that.

She had learned to tell the difference between those people who appreciated her beauty and those who were letting their lust overtake them. Her parents had given her bodyguards, whom she stayed close to when she saw those hot eyes on her. Having someone constantly nearby was enough to keep them away. She felt sorry for those women that seemed to have a hard time with her beauty. Yes, she was beautiful, not even by her own ability, it was a magic gift. Seeing their own inherent beauty marred by jealousy or more frighteningly, lust, was so sad. If it went on too long she would retreat to the top of one of the lesser towers and have some quiet time as guards secured the tower from below.

This new king they were meeting was coming into the throne room. His hair seemed as the mane of a wild horse, his eyes cool and intent, evaluating everything he saw. He walked as one long comfortable in the saddle. He had conquered the kingdom on the other end of the trail over the mountains, they had sent diplomats to size up the situation, and he had decided to come to secure a new trade and transport agreement.

There were introductions and his cool eyes only lingered on her for a moment, but she blushed when she saw his son. He had come into the throne room with his father and delegation. He had tripped over his own feet not far from the thrones as she and her family rose to greet them. "The poor dear," she had thought. He looked like he was young and still growing, like some of the boys that had grown so lanky and tall and still didn't seem to know how their bodies worked anymore.

There was the typical exchange of pleasantries and bows and curtsies, then they broke for changing clothes, rest, and meals. Tomorrow would start the negotiations.

# # #

Princess Celestina was standing to the left of her father at the big table, father's chief diplomat on his right, as the formalities of the negotiation began.

She would pass papers to her father with details about conditions of the road, shared costs, weather, numbers of caravans and people on the road at various times of the year, and so on. It was a very simple duty, but one that allowed her to watch and learn as the the men did their work. Someday she would be in the center seat, and she needed to learn.

The Ilkhan and his diplomat didn't look at her much, which seemed so odd, most people spent lots of time looking at her, because she was so beautiful, but she didn't mind. It was rather nice not to have to worry about it for once. The son had more difficulty she could feel him staring at her.

She had graciously nodded to him as everyone sat, and that alone caused him to nearly miss his seat while sitting down.

The poor boy seemed to be trying to hold it together, but every time he looked at her he would mess up in some way. He reddened under the sidelong glance of his father, and organized the papers he had brought. He seemed to be in much the same position as herself. He tried to hold himself with decorum, but every time she moved, his eyes came to her and he would have problems. So she was kind to him, and sat as still as she could so he wouldn't get in too much trouble.

She kept her eyes on her papers most of the time, but she would look at them all through her lashes and see what they were like. Her eyes often lingered on the boy. The Ilkhan was a man with hard eyes that chilled her insides, the way he evaluated her scared her. The diplomat on the other side seems a determined man but wise.

During the break she was on the way to the library. There had been a delivery of a crate of new books, and she wanted to see if there was anything fun. A good romance, maybe, or an adventure story, that would be refreshing after the dull duty of the negotiations.

As she passed the training ground with her bodyguard, she saw the boy in combat with two of his father's retainers. It was so exciting, and then his his mock sword broke, and one of her hands went to her mouth. He broke free, ripping his shirt in the process. In a spectacular move, he grabbed a quarterstaff and knocked them both down, defeating them.

Her hands were on her bosom and she was panting with excitement. He turned and saw her, their eyes met, she lowered her eyes and saw his exposed chest, she blushed, and as he struggled with his torn clothes she dashed to the library hoping to find a nice boring chemistry text or something.


	7. True Love 2

True Love part 2

He needed to get his mind off the princess, Henri told himself. Why was she so distracting? He could barely see anything but her when she was in the room. Father's tongue lashing had hurt, but why did it hurt more to be away from her? They seemed about the same age but she seemed mature beyond her years. He couldn't keep his mind off her ever since she stepped out into that shaft of sunlight at the welcoming ceremony. Her gown was the palest blue, almost white, and dazzling, her blond hair in braids around her head like a coronet. It was like she was glowing.

Henri shook himself and wiped that goofy smile off of his face, he had work to do. He would be no help to Father in the negotiations if he couldn't even pay enough attention to hand him the right papers. Father was counting on him. He needed to do something to focus himself. He looked out the window and saw a courtyard and a few of the kingdom's guard sparing. He nodded, that would be a good distraction, some weapons training.

Calling a couple of his father's guards, they went down to the training yard. He talked to the man in charge and was given some wooden training weapons. He placed the quarterstaffs against the wall, they'd use those next. He considered the guards and decided that he really needed to concentrate, and a two-on-one battle would be the best thing for him right now. That required total focus. His father wanted him to be able to take on more, and while he had failed badly at the one three-on-one battle they tried, he had made progress on two-on-one.

His father's guards came at him, wooden training swords aiming for his belly. He knocked them away, spun past one, and attacked the other. They worked together well, experienced fighters, both. One grabbed his shirt as the other took aim, but Henri wrenched himself away, tearing his shirt, and the sword missed him.

Then his wooden weapon broke at the hilt. They backed him towards the wall. The two guards smirked, they had him now. Henri threw the useless hilt at one of the guards, he leapt to the quarterstaffs leaning on the wall. Grabbing one, he kicked off the wall and spun, striking the guards weapons. He spun again and knocked their feet out from under them and brought the staff down on their breastplates. They yielded.

Gasping for breath, he staggered to his feet. He heard applause, a sizable group had gathered to watch, mostly guards. He saw his father, on the balcony of their rooms, give him a nod. But he also saw the princess Celestina across the courtyard outside some doors just below his father. Her amber eyes flicked to his torn shirt and she turned, gracefully gliding away.

Henri blushed, again, the flush running down his chest, and some of the men laughed as he jerked his shirt closed. The training session suddenly didn't seem as if it had helped now, but the men gathered around him and gave him hearty claps on the back for the excellent fight.

# # #

At the end of the negotiations, they held a farewell ball. As princess, it was her duty to dance with all of the men. The men of her kingdom were respectful. Her dance schedule was also arranged for her, so that anyone suspected of being a problem would get a short dance, and those that might be a problem would have to contend with a folk dance that kept her far away from them most of the time. She had been given hand signals to indicate if she was having difficulty with her partner, and a message would be relayed to the music conductor to end it quickly. As a last resort, she had sturdy dance shoes she could "accidentally" step on his toes with. She had only had to do that once with a drunk baron. It had been something she needed to do quickly as his hand slipped too close to her bottom. She hadn't liked doing that, she didn't like hurting people.

Henri had been given the honor of the last dance with the princess. He was the most eligible of the men at this ball. He was looking very shy, and she felt a little shy, too. They began slowly, moving cautiously, and carefully, but soon built greater trust and confidence in each other's motions. Celestina was enjoying herself immensely. She signaled for greater intensity, and they were soon moving more quickly with greater exertion. The dance floor cleared as the swept through the moves like none had ever seen before. Her mother was amazed as her daughter's shoes slid to a perfect paired stop in front of her. She looked to her husband, and they looked on as the two young people danced together as though they had danced their whole lives together.

At the last note, they were facing each other, held in each others' arms and breathing fast from their exertions, smiling and their eyes locked. Then, as the room broke into wild applause, they looked away from each other, embarrassed by their closeness.

The Ilkhan grunted and walked out, his son following quickly. Celestina was left alone and confused on the dance floor.

# # #

"Mom, what happened?" asked Celestina the next day once the foreign king and his delegation left.

"Well, we'll see. What do you think of Henri?"

"He's rather awkward, like a puppy growing up and his paws are too big. He doesn't seem detail-oriented."

"Is that all?"

"He does dance well," Celestina said enthusiastically.

"I noticed that."

Celestina was thinking about everything she knew about him, her eyes losing focus on the here and now.

"He seems to be a good fighter." she said, a little quietly and dreamily, "and his chest is so tight and sculpted." Her hand came up off her lap and gestured vaguely before her following the lines she remembered so vividly, wanting so to touch them.

"And when did you see his chest?" her mother asked sharply.

Celestina snapped back to the here and now, "Oh, ah... His shirt ripped when he was practicing with some of his men the first day of the negotiations." She blushed rather thoroughly.

"Yes, I see." said the Queen, looking at her daughter with hooded eyes.

"See what?"

Mother cocked her head and smiled gently, "I think you might be in love."

"Really?" Hope flooded the princess' heart. This felt so wonderful. There were many kinds of love, Mother had explained and this one felt so good.

"We would have to find out if he shares it. I couldn't really tell, since he and his father left so quickly after that dance of yours. We'll have to wait a little while and then invite him back."

"I'll go get some paper." Celestina said excitedly, jumping to her feet.

"No, dear." Queen Emma smiled. "It takes many days to cross the mountains, then his father will have to have time to catch up and deal with things that have come up while he was gone. So we should give it a month or so before we start talking about another meeting. We could go to their kingdom, so we have a chance to see the condition of the road. That should be a good excuse to make the trip."

"A whole month?" Celestina almost wailed.

"At least, more, if you don't calm down."

"Yes, mother," said Celestina as she tried to sit demurely.


	8. True Love 3

True Love 3

"So, they want to come here to visit and inspect the condition of the road. They wish to find our weaknesses as we did to them." The Ilkhan frowned from atop his rug-covered throne. "Let them come. We have made this place strong. Stronger than it was before. They will find no weakness here."

The many people in the fur and cloth draped throne room bowed.

"Indeed, you have lead us well and shown us the weaknesses of those who were here before. You have corrected those mistakes. You are a great warrior and king. It would show our sophistication, to have music and dancing, as they did. It would not do to have them think we are primitive and without music and dance." Henri was wheedling as hard as he knew how, flattering his father and appealing to his desires for superiority. But it was all simply a way for him to get what he wanted. He had seen his mother and the other women of the harem do that to his father. He had to be careful not to overdo it. That could make father angry and his anger was terrible.

Why did he have this terrible ache in his chest for that girl? Why did that dance haunt his dreams? And those amber eyes. That smile. That lovely hair. He shook himself, he had to stay focused or he would never see her again.

There was a long pause and finally a grunt and nod.

"Yes, great Ilkhan. I will see to it." Henri bowed to his father and left the fur-draped throne room.

# # #

Celestina shivered as the caravan fell under the shadow of the bald mountain. It felt so dark and cold in this kingdom now. The village Riverton huddled at the base of the mountain under the glowering castle. Horns sounded as they began the final descent.

# # #

Celestina and her mother were led to the Seraglio of the Ilkhan. She had been to this castle before as a child, but it was so different now. The walls were covered with heavy felt of dark hues. It was like being inside a massive tent. Coming here to visit had seemed like a good idea, but now she wasn't sure. It was so dark and oppressive all the time, it was like she felt an actual weight on her shoulders, and even the sun seemed less bright and much less cheery. She had been feeling that ever since they passed the marker halfway along the road.

The fur-covered guards escorting them from the throne room gave orders to the bare-chested guards by the heavy wooden doors. The men guarding the doors here were good-sized, but the soft, soprano tones of the guard's voice were very surprising. Celestina realized they were eunuchs.

The interior of the sitting room was also covered with fabric, but instead of the heavy felt it was a light, almost sheer, fabric, in light tans, pinks, and blues. Celestina felt the oppressiveness of the castle lift slightly off her shoulders, but she stayed close to her mother. Several women came into the room from surrounding chambers. They were dressed lightly, and their costumes fluttered in their wake.

"Welcome, I am Beatrice. I am First and Most Honored Wife of the Ilkhan." said a woman with brown hair, blue eyes and light skin.

"Thank you. I am Queen Emma and this is Princess Celestina of Passhold."

"Greetings. These are the other wives of the Ilkhan." and Beatrice named them. Mother handled the introductions smoothly, but Celestina was struggling with what she was learning. Beatrice was not like the other women and girls, she was much fairer and she was dark blonde like Mother was. Another of the women was very dark brown, another olive skinned. They all seemed to have come from very different places, they didn't have the same swarthiness or eyes the men had.

"Come, I will show you to your room," said Beatrice.

Celestina saw a long braided coil of black hair on a small table. "What is that?" she asked.

"That is a reminder of the Dishonored One, so we do not fail our Ilkhan. Her braid was cut and used to strangle her since she bore deformed sons to the Ilkhan." Beatrice said stoically.

Emma gasped, putting a hand to her throat as she glanced at Celestina.

Celestina's eyes went big and she clamped her mouth shut. She would not be asking any more questions, if she could help it. She was pretty sure she loved Henri and she was certain he was a good man, but the culture he lived in was beginning to frighten her.

# # #

Beatrice showed them into their rooms. "These will be your rooms for your stay with us."

"Thank you," said Queen Emma.

"I will warn you, that whatever you might expect from your culture, you will not have those privileges here. You should not leave the Seraglio unescorted or uninvited."

Celestina bit her lip, she wanted to see Henri so much.

"Henri is my son. He has talked much of what happened in your land." Beatrice said.

"He is a good man." said Emma.

"He is." Beatrice said proudly.

"He will make a good king."

"He will. I have worked hard to make him so."

"Will he keep to these ways?" asked Celestina, gesturing to the women's quarters.

Beatrice thought for a moment and looked to the door. She leaned in and said very quietly, "No. He will change this, and many other things."

"You have taught him well." Emma said, putting a hand on Beatrice's arm.

"He is much better than I and my teachings. It has taken all my cunning to keep him alive. He has a good heart. His soul is good to the point that he is a danger to himself, sometimes, but he will make a good Ilkhan and will change things for the better."

"I am sure of that." said Emma and Celestina nodded.

"That is what I hope for, from the bottom of my heart."

"How did you end up here?" asked Emma.

"My father was the king of a city, not very big. When the Ilkhan came, he demanded surrender, my father refused. The city was overwhelmed and destroyed. I was taken as the prize. I am beautiful, and the Ilkhan chose me as his wife. I was mocked by the other wives, but they are dead now, and I am First Wife, only my son has survived into adulthood. I have great honor because of that." Beatrice was not looking at them, her eyes dark and hooded.

Celestina had noticed there were many girls in the seraglio, but no boys, apparently there weren't any.

Emma took Beatrice's hand. "You have done what you must, under trying circumstances. I hope all will be well with you."

"What happens to me is of no concern. My daughters are married and try to make change, but it is slow work. Henri will be the change they need. He will do true good to this kingdom, and the other kingdoms."

"Yes, he will. I know it." said Celestina. "I will help him, if I can."

Beatrice looked at her appraisingly and then nodded.

Then she helped them change out of their travel clothes and into a gift of harem clothes.

# # #

"We're not having the welcome feast with the men?" asked Queen Emma as platters of food were brought in. Celestina was thinking that was a good thing, the halter and open sided pants that Beatrice had gifted them were very comfortable but showed so much skin, she was uncomfortable. Her usual outfit lately covered her really well to mute her beauty somewhat. Now she felt so many eyes on her.

"No. We would only be welcome if we are asked to dance," said Beatrice as they sat on richly embroidered pillows around a low table filled with platters of food.

"Dance?" asked Celestina, perking up. She still dreamed of that dance she had had with Henri. It had been one of the most beautiful things she had ever done.

"For the entertainment of the men," Beatrice explained, then smiled wickedly. "It is fun to enflame the men as we dance."

"Oh!" said Emma and Celestina as they now understood why the other women had been stretching and twirling and looking as though they had been practicing ballet moves as they had waited for the meal to be brought in.


	9. True Love 4

Redeemed True Love 4

Beatrice smiled, then clapped her hands and the other women came over. "Sister-wives, these are our guests. This is Queen Emma or Passhold and Princess Celestina her daughter. My son has expressed interest in her."

The women nodded.

"This is Isis, she was a gift from the Turks." Celestina noted that she was the deepest black she had ever seen in a person. She was also quite lithe and greeted her politely and bowed with sensual grace. Celestina knew she was not a Turk, so she was a slave from a foreign land beyond Nubia.

"This Ghaniyah, she is a daughter of the Caliph in Arabia." Celestina understood that she had been given as a way to seal a peace between those nations. She was quite beautiful with her olive skin.

They sat on pillows and began the meal with olives and feta cheese.

One of the eunuchs came in after clapping his hands and bent to talk quietly with the First Wife.

"So we are invited to dance," said Beatrice as the eunuch straightened from whispering to her.

"Can I see?" asked Celestina.

Beatrice looked at her a long time and then said. "There is a way but we must not be seen or heard. We could be beaten for that."

Celestina's eyes went large, but she nodded.

They went to an observation box high in the throne room, and inched forward on their bellies, peering through the spaces on the balcony.

The Ilkhan's youngest wife, Isis, was dancing, her dark skin glistening from her exertions. She was undulating and strutting around the floor in front of the men, who were clapping and urging her on. She could see Henri's eyes on the girl.

"I want to dance."

"That would be unwise." Beatrice advised.

"I want to dance." Celestina insisted.

Beatrice sighed. "That would be very dangerous. You are old enough to be taken."

"You don't mean..." gasped Celestina.

Beatrice nodded.

"But my father..."

"Is he prepared to fight a duel?"

Celestina bit her lip. Her father was a good man, but portly and he didn't practice like she was sure these men did.

"My Henri is prepared." Beatrice confided. "I know he loves you. We talked of you. He would defend you."

"Really?" Hope filled Celestina's heart.

Beatrice nodded.

"Perhaps you should dance, Henri needs to prove himself to the Ilkhan. This might be just the thing."

They watched the other wives dance. Celestina blushed often, but was fascinated by their moves and attitude.

Emma danced as well, she danced simply and awkwardly, compared to the others, but she danced with an intimacy to her husband. She danced for him alone. The looks on the men were respectful and kind, except for the fat one, who was rude and slurred that his daughter danced better. Queen Emma blushed and scurried behind the curtains.

The King looked pointedly at the Ilkhan, who barked a few words at the fat one, who apologized. But in the many subtle moves of face saving, the Ilkhan ordered his daughters to dance. The youngest were cute as they tried to emulate their elders, the teens would fall as they tried advanced moves they had not yet mastered, they would blush and dance more carefully.

Then Celestina said, "I am ready."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"That is dangerous. Your father is not seen as powerful. They may pressure him into giving you away."

"I dance only for Henri."

"So be it."

Celestina danced with exquisite grace and deep freedom, but she fluttered too close to the fat one, and he grabbed her.

Before anyone could say anything Henri was standing and shouting "Enough!" Everyone stopped moving and the echoes of the music died. Hard looks crackled between the prince and the fat one. Eventually, the fat one's hand let go. Celestina moved toward Henri, but he glared at her. Not sure what to do, she stopped again and hearing a hiss from the curtains, ran for the women's area, her veils streaming out behind her.

"That was a dangerous game to play," hissed Beatrice.

"But I just danced like all of you did," whispered Celestina.

"Not you child. Henri. He has asserted a claim on you."

"You mean he likes me?"

Beatrice gave Celestina a small smile. "Yes, enough to defend you. That may be a good thing. You danced very well, maybe too well. The men are enflamed and the drink has made them unwary. One of the daughters may have to be given to the fat one to appease him, but that is of no moment."

Celestina gasped. "Will I have to be given to Henri?" She wasn't sure if she liked that idea or not. She knew she had feelings for him but she wasn't sure one way or the other of what to do with them. The matter-of-fact way Beatrice was talking scared her.

"No, you are a guest and that is not allowed. But I think he will have to visit you without the Ilkhan to have some time to get to know you. It would be good if you fall in love and marry. An alliance would be a good thing, and might temper the Ilkhan's fire. The Ikhan is a proud man and must keep face."

A eunuch came in to the seraglio and spoke to Beatrice, "The Ikhan desires your company this night."

"Just me?"

The man nodded, "He is quite pleased, the fat one has lost honor and his son has gained honor."

Beatrice smiled, "Good, very good. A moment to prepare."

Celestina blushed as Beatrice stood before one of the large mirrors and adjusted her clothes.

"The Ilkhan will bed me to celebrate this victory, so I must look the part. I will tease him and make him desire me more, so we can both enjoy this evening." Beatrice explained.

"Where is Mother?" asked Celestina, looking around.

"She has been called to her husband's bed." The red-belted eunuch said.

"As is proper, stay here in your rooms. You are safe enough there. Do not wander," said Beatrice, then she covered herself in a heavy cloak and left with the eunuch.

Celestina looked around, it was quiet as the others went to bed too. She considered seeing if she could find Henri to talk to him about what happened, but thought about the eyes of the men and went to bed, though it took some time for her to fall asleep.


	10. True Love 5

True Love 5

"Okay, okay, I concede." Henri threw up his arms, then sat back and draped his arms over the back of the sofa he was sitting on.

Henri was back in Passhold, mercifully alone, not counting the guards, but he had dismissed them. He and Celestina had exchanged letters, and somehow it was so wonderful to get a letter from her, he would spend days agonizing over what to say and then dash something off and send the rider back. They were just delicate words on the page but somehow it felt like she was there with him. He had jumped at the chance to come when they invited him for her birthday. The Ilkhan had declined to come citing issues with some group to the South but that hadn't stopped Henri. He had been warmly welcomed by the royal family, it was almost like he was family with them.

They had been arguing a point of governmental philosophy with Celestina in the royal library. A place they had invited him into for their evening discussions.

Henri had argued the dogma of his father, and she had called upon the combined wisdom of rulers across the land. Not their authority as he had had to do but their ideas and ideals. She had neatly punctured all his arguments.

He had argued from a position of realpolitik, but she understood human nature and how to nurture the good in all people and not just try to terrorize them to do what you wanted.

Henri was tired but refreshed as well. He felt stretched like he did in combat training, but this time it was his mind and it was wonderful. What a queen she would be!

Celestina bounced primly on her chair opposite him, and he saw the King and Queen share an indulgent look from their sofa.

Then Henri crossed his legs and froze.

He realized something. He felt relaxed. He didn't have his shields up. He wasn't carefully watching his father for his opinion. No one was judging him here.

He felt at home, which was totally unlike the feelings he had when he was at home with his family in his father's kingdom. It scared him a little.

But he also knew he had to find a way to stay here.

To stay with her, as he looked at Celestina and smiled gently.

"What?" said Tina with a curious smile.

"You are amazing."

Tina blushed, "Why?"

"You are the smartest person I have ever met, and you are kind and compassionate to a fault. What you did for that poor, old widow yesterday was amazing, I've never seen animals do that before."

"Oh that, that is one of the gifts of being a princess."

"Really?"

"Oh my, yes. You'll have to meet the Three Good Fairies."

"Fairies?"

"Yes, they are gentle souls that help out from time to time. They arrived not long ago, while you two were out." said the King.

"I must, I think," then Henri gave a large yawn. "But maybe not tonight, I seem to be quite tired."

"Yes, it is quite late," said the Queen. "Plenty of time in the morning."

# # #

Celestina and Henri are outside the castle, just walking, being near each other for the morning of her sixteenth birthday. Chaperones discreetly follow them.

They pause to sit on a small white boulder, her favorite spot, under the tree. They are holding hands looking over the river and the Dark Forest.

She put her head on his shoulder. Henri took her chin with his fingers and tilted up her face as he leans in close. They fall into each other's eyes.

They can feel their warm breathes on their lips, Celestina's eyes flutter like her heart.

Closer...

"Please, no, don't." She pushed herself back, though it was the hardest thing she had ever done.

"What's wrong?" Henri asked, confused. Had he read her that badly?

"Nothing, everything. I do love you, so much. I want to save our first kiss for our wedding, I think we have true love, Henri, and that is so very special. True Love's First Kiss has special power and I would like to save that for our wedding, to make it as strong as it possibly can be. It will be hard enough, with your father and all that you must do for your kingdom. That would help, somehow, I know it."

"I love you too, Tina, and I will abide." How incredibly good she was to want to do something so special and powerful for him and his father.

"Thank you, Henri, you have such a good soul." She put her hand on his shoulder again.

"I guess I should talk to your father then."

"What for?" asked Celestina confused.

"For your hand in marriage, of course." Henri smiled.

"Oh, yes, that." Celestina blushed prettily, they had become so close so quickly, she had forgotten all the proprieties need to be observed. Henri put his arm around her waist and held her close looking over the Dark Forest.

# # #

Henri was hurrying back to his quarters. He had to hurry up and change for the princess' sixteenth birthday ball.

He had just talked to the King about Celestina's hand in marriage. He would have to okay it with the Ilkhan but he should be able to convince his father to allow it. His mother had taught him many ways to manipulate his father.

Henri had to pass by the princess' quarters but he would just keep walking. Honor meant more when you did the right thing when nobody was there to see than if there were witnesses.

He turned down the corridor and was temporarily blinked by the setting sun streaming in the window at the other end.

A group of guards came around another corner. He nodded to them.

They pulled glowing daggers. Henri stopped, stunned. Why would they do that? He grabbed to chair next to him and flung it in front of him, tripping two of them, before he dashed back, cursing himself for not having his sword or knife. It was too safe here, he had let his guard down.

"To arms! Assassins!" Henri shouted, grabbing a tapestry and flinging across the corridor.

There was a spinning wheel behind a tapestry, he grabbed it and slammed it into one of the assassins. It splintered. He grabbed the other side of the wheel.

One tried to stab him through the wheel, and he ducked then twisted the wheel and broke the man's arm. Henri stabbed the arm of another with the spindle and the assailant spun away ripping the spindle out of his hand. The fourth man came over the chair and sliced opened Henri's belly with the glowing blade. The pain was enough to make him cry out. Then they stabbed him in the back with the spindle.

Then there was the thunder of boots and the assassins turned and ran. Celestina came out of her room with broken chair leg as a club. As he fell to the ground, she rushed to him.

Celestina threw her arms around her injured love. "Henri, please, it's going to be alright. Ouch." She pulled back her hand and sucked on her finger. She had pricked her finger on the spindle that was sticking out of Henri's chest.

"Please someone help us!" Celestina screamed. She looked down at him. "It's going to be okay, Henri. The bad guys are gone." But there was still the clank of steel on the breeze.

She saw her attendants peek out of her room. "Quickly, something to bind his wounds!"

"Look, Henri here are the fairies, they can help you. You're going to be fine. I love you, Henri. Just a little longer. Please, heal him, hurry, please, Flora!"

Flora waved her wand, and she is able to remove spindle and heal that wound. Fauna went to work on the belly wound, but the wound stays open and the blood continued to flow.

Henri continues to get paler. An older woman rush out with an old nightgown. They hastily shoved his guts back in and push the fabric on top. Celestina holds it down as the old woman dashed back to the princess' bedroom.

"What's wrong why isn't he getting better, please!" Celestina beggeed, lifting Henri's head into her lap.

"Where's the weapon that did this?" Merryweather asked.

Celestina looked around. "Over there, I think." She pointed to a blood-stained blade unlike the ones of her kingdom.

Merryweather tried to touch it, but cannot. She waved her wand at it, but the magic was deflected.

"The blade been enchanted, it repeals magic."

"And so does the wound." said Fauna, kneeling next to Henri trying different healing spells to help her favorite princess's true love. Blood seeped from between Celestina's fingers as she pressed on the wound in his belly.

"Henri, please, hold on, please."

The light was leaving his eyes. She had wanted to save their first kiss for their wedding, but she had to do something.

"Henri, please, I love you." Celestina kissed him with all her heart. She felt his hand on her cheek.

"I-I love you, Celesti-" gasped Prince Henri, then his hand fell.

"Oh, no, Henri, Henri! HENRI!" The last soul-tearing scream of Princess Celestina echoes far beyond the walls of the castle as the fairies surround them on the floor, before her rooms, as darkness swept over them all as the sun set.

# # #

The casket was before the thrones, guarded by the Ilkhan's men. The vast majority of the people of Passhold were there. Everyone had seen the love the princess and the prince had shared, to have it snuffed out was terrible. The Three Good Fairies were on the front row. The king spoke for a little while, explaining that the prince had been killed by those wanting vengeance for Riverton.

Princess Celestina rose and stood by the closed coffin. She looked at it and ran a gentle hand down the edge. She began to sing a song of hope and futures and true love and dreams. And they didn't matter anymore. She sang of hollow emptiness, terrible loneliness, and broken futures. And they didn't matter anymore. What use is true love? She sang goodbye to hope and goodbye to dreams and goodbye to her true love. As she sang the last goodbye, tears poured down her face, her voice thickened and roughened. She threw herself across the coffin and sobbed her heart out.

Once her mother got herself under control, because those last heartbreaking goodbyes had reduced nearly everyone to tears, she came up beside her daughter and led her away. The king shakily stood and, in thick tones, dismissed the mourners. The guards stood their posts around the casket and did not weep.


End file.
